Adelaide Mine

Overview

The Adelaide Mine is a historic copper-gold-silver-lead skarn deposit in the Gold Run Mining District, Humboldt County, 16.5 km from Golconda. Discovered in the 1860s, the mine operated continuously through 1940 and produced the major portion of gold, silver, copper, and lead for the district. Mineralization occurs as sulfide replacement of marble and calcareous siltstone within the Preble Formation, with ore composed of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite plus minor sphalerite and galena. Scheelite traces in the mine waste dumps indicate tungsten potential. Most recently active in 1980 under Bullion Monarch's interest in M.& B. Mining Co.

Historical Names

NBMG Sample Site 2301, Sec 20 T34N R40E

Geology

Host Rocks

Preble Formation

Structural Setting

NE-trending folds and faults.

Structural Control

Fault zone.

Alteration

Oxidation.

Sulfide replacement of marble and calcareous siltstone. Replacement bodies appear to follow transposed bedding (isoclinally folded rock), with north-trending high-angle faults and low-angle thrust faults influencing localization. Rocks east of the replaced units are hard, laminated sandstone and siltstone. Carbonate-bearing rocks are converted to calcsilicate rocks with light brown garnet; vesuvianite and scheelite are reported in mine waste dumps.

Limestone interbedded with dark calcareous phyllite.

Chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, and minor sphalerite and galena in a gangue of calcite, garnet, and vesuvianite.

Mineralogy

The recorded mineral list contains 11 entries, including Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Diopside, Galena, Garnet Group, Orthoclase, Pyrrhotite, Quartz, Scheelite, Sphalerite, Vesuvianite.

History & Development

1. 1860s Discovery and start of operations.
2. 1860s–1940 Operated continuously; produced the major portion of the gold, silver, copper, and lead for the district.
3. 1980 Production resumed; Bullion Monarch Co. held a 50% interest in M.& B. Mining Co. By October 1980 about 1,000 tons of ore had been mined and stockpiled for delivery to Monarch's 200-tons-per-day flotation mill at Austin.
4. 1984 Reported inactive by Garside.

References

• Mindat locality 59702: Adelaide Mine
• USGS MRDS record 10014368: Adelaide Mine
• Ransome (1909). Notes on Some Mining Districts in Humboldt County, Nevada.
• Couch & Carpenter (1943). Nevada's Metal and Mineral Production (1859–1940).
• Willden (1964). Geology and Mineral Deposits of Humboldt County, Nevada.
• Berger (1975). Report of Property Examination, Adelaide Mine.
• Marsh & Erickson (1978). Geologic Map of the Gold Run Creek Quadrangle.
• Garside (1984). Field Investigation and Sample Analysis.
• Stager & Tingley (1988). Tungsten Deposits in Nevada.